Arbat and New Arbat Walking Itinerary: Route, Sights and Timings

The Arbat and New Arbat Walking Itinerary shows two streets that run almost parallel and have nothing else in common. Old Arbat is a short pedestrian street of cobbles, lanterns and old houses; New Arbat is a wide 1960s avenue of tower blocks with no side streets.

The route assumes about four hours at an easy pace, with a coffee stop and a short museum visit if you want one. By the end you will have walked Old Arbat from end to end, seen the theater with the golden fountain, the Tsoi Wall, the monument to Bulat Okudzhava and one of the Stalin-era high-rises, and walked New Arbat down to the river.

At a glance: Walk Old Arbat from Arbatskaya Square to Smolenskaya Square, stopping at the theater, the Tsoi Wall and the Okudzhava monument, then ride one Metro stop back and walk New Arbat west to the river.

Half Day: Old Arbat, then New Arbat to the River

The route has two halves with different moods. The first half is slow and detailed, with short stops along about a kilometer of pedestrian street. The second is a straight walk down a wide avenue to the river. A single Metro stop joins the two, so you never retrace your steps on foot*.

1. Arbat – Start at Arbatskaya (Line 3, dark blue; the Line 4, light-blue station is close) and walk southwest from Arbatskaya Square onto Old Arbat: cobbles, triple-headed street lamps and old houses along about a kilometer of pedestrian street (45 minutes)
2. Vakhtangov Theatre – At Arbat 26 in front of the grey and red building stands the golden Princess Turandot fountain, from 1997; the theater has its own tickets, so only look at the outside (10 minutes)
3. Tsoi Wall and Okudzhava Monument – The Tsoi Wall at Arbat 37 on the corner of Krivoarbatsky Lane has been covered in messages since 1990 and fans leave a cigarette there; the monument to Bulat Okudzhava is a few doors on at No. 45 on the corner of Plotnikov Lane (20 minutes)
4. Pushkin Memorial Apartment – At Arbat 53, the only surviving Moscow apartment of the poet, where he lived in 1831; it is a museum with its own ticket, so check the closing day or skip it (45 minutes, optional)
5. Smolenskaya Square – Walk to the end of Old Arbat where the street meets the Garden Ring and look up at the Foreign Ministry, one of the Stalin-era skyscrapers known as the Seven Sisters, from outside only (20 minutes)
6. New Arbat – Ride Line 3 one stop from Smolenskaya back to Arbatskaya, then walk west along New Arbat: wide sidewalks, 1960s tower blocks and no side streets, down to the Moskva River and Novoarbatsky Bridge (45 minutes)

Tip: Walk Old Arbat in the morning, when the street is calmer and the lanterns and house fronts are easy to see, and keep New Arbat for the late afternoon, when the light on the river end is better.

Moscow Vibes Tips

• Look at the side lanes off Old Arbat: Krivoarbatsky and Plotnikov Lanes are quiet and still have old houses, and they are where the Tsoi Wall and the Okudzhava monument stand.
• Prices on Old Arbat itself are the highest of the central streets, so eat a block off it, or wait until New Arbat or the Patriarch's Ponds area.
• Walk the Foreign Ministry side of Smolenskaya Square only on the pavement and do not photograph officials or checkpoints; the building is not open to visitors.
• Do not mix up the two streets when you ask for directions: Old Arbat is the pedestrian one and New Arbat is the avenue with the tower blocks.
• Finish at the river end of New Arbat and continue to the Kievsky River Pier for a boat if the day is long enough; see the Kievsky River Pier guide.
• Bring some rubles for the street stalls and cafes, since foreign cards are reported not to work.

Explore Nearby Arbat and New Arbat Walking Itinerary

Hotels near Arbat and New Arbat Walking Itinerary

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  Radisson Collection Hotel Moscow

Train stations and river piers near Arbat and New Arbat Walking Itinerary

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  Kievsky River Pier

Related guides

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  Arbat: Old Arbat Street, Tsoi Wall and Pushkin’s Apartment
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  10 Best Squares and Streets for a Walk in Moscow: Routes and Tips
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  10 Most Impressive Soviet-Era Buildings in Moscow: Skyscrapers and More
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  Patriarch’s Ponds: The Master and Margarita Pond and Its Park
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  Alexandrovsky Sad Metro Station: Kremlin Access, Transfers and Facts

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FAQ

What is the difference between Arbat and New Arbat?

Old Arbat is a short pedestrian street of old houses and cobbles. New Arbat is a wide avenue of 1960s tower blocks that was built to take the traffic.

Is Old Arbat pedestrian only?

Yes, the street is closed to ordinary traffic. New Arbat is a normal road with wide sidewalks.

How long is Old Arbat?

About a kilometer, from Arbatskaya Square to Smolenskaya Square, so the walk takes about half an hour without stops.

Can I visit the Pushkin apartment?

Yes, the memorial apartment at Arbat 53 is a museum with its own ticket and closing day; check the official site before you go.

Can I go inside the Foreign Ministry?

No. It is a working government building and one of the Seven Sisters, so you can only look at it from outside; see the 10 Most Impressive Soviet-Era Buildings in Moscow list.

What is the Tsoi Wall?

A graffiti-covered wall at Arbat 37 that has been a memorial to the musician Viktor Tsoi since 1990, where fans leave messages and cigarettes.

Where is the nearest Metro?

Arbatskaya at the eastern end and Smolenskaya at the western end; one Line 3 stop joins them.

Can I pay with a foreign card?

Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, and your country's sanctions rules may restrict some services, so carry some rubles and check this yourself.

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